More than 50 leaders from various political parties arrived in Bengaluru on Monday to attend a meeting of the Opposition parties to be held in the Congress-ruled State on Tuesday. The Congress has rallied support from 26 parties for the second Opposition unity meeting, aimed at taking on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The first meeting was held in Patna earlier.
Parties and leaders
The parties who are part of the meeting include Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Trinamool Congress, Janata Dal (United), Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Shiv Sena (UBT), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), J&K National Conference, Communist parties CPI and CPI(M), and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK).
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hosted a dinner for the leaders on Monday and the guest list included former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav, among others.
Addressing the media, Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal said the unity of non-NDA parties would be a “game-changer” and they would discuss a common agenda to defeat the BJP in the next general election. He said the Bengaluru meeting is going to be followed by more such to firm up Opposition unity against the BJP. On the leadership issue in the Opposition, he said, “We have enough leaders.”
Mr. Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC chief D.K. Shivakumar welcomed Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Ms. Sonia, Mr. Rahul, and other leaders at HAL airport. Mr. Shivakumar has been deputed to monitor all the preparation for the meeting. Security has been beefed up at the venue, the Taj West End hotel.
In view of the security, MLAs and MLCs have been directed not to go to the venue of the meeting. Posters of various leaders attending the meeting have been erected on both sides of Race Course Road in the city.
